Apparatus and methods for assigning spectral and non-spectral resource charges in wireless communications systems

• US 6,324,395 B1
• Filed: 11/18/1998
• Issued: 11/27/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ericsson, Inc. (Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson)
• Original Assignee: Ericsson, Inc. (Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson)
• Inventors: Khayrallah, Ali S., Irvin, David R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chang, Vivian
• Assistant Examiner(s): APPIAH, CHARLES NANA
• Application Number:
  US09/195,315
• Publication Number:
  US 20010044294A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,105 Days
• Field of Search: 455/406, 455/452, 455/450, 455/509, 455/510, 455/445, 455/405, 455/408, 455/403, 455/422, 379/114.05, 379/114.06, 379/114.07
• US Class Current: 455/406
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/00 Arrangements for metering, time-control or time indication ; Metering, charging or billing arrangements for voice wireline or wireless communications, e.g. VoIP
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/49 Connection to several service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/745 Customizing according to wishes of subscriber, e.g. friends or family
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8016 based on quality of service [QoS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8033 location-dependent, e.g. business or home
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8044 Least cost routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0108 Customization according to wishes of subscriber, e.g. customer preferences, friends and family, selecting services or billing options, Personal Communication Systems [PCS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0168 On line or real-time flexible customization or negotiation according to wishes of subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/32 Involving wireless systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/42 Least cost routing, i.e. provision for selecting the lowest cost tariff
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/46 Connection to several service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7414 QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7435 Location dependent, e.g. Bussiness or home
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/745 Least cost routing, e.g. Automatic or manual, call by call or by preselection
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing

Abstract

Charge for communication of a message in a wireless communications system is assigned commensurate with the spectral and non-spectral resource demand associated with the service used to communicate the message. A service may be identified from a plurality of services in response to a user request to communicate a message, for example, and charge for the communication of the message assigned to the user based on the service identified. According to another aspect, the system may first determine whether sufficient system resources are available to communicate the message using the selected service. According to another aspect, the system may first determine whether the user is authorized to communicate the message using the selected service.

Claims

1. In a wireless communications system, a method of operating comprising the steps of:

identifying a service of a plurality of services offered by the wireless communications system, a respective one of the plurality of services employing a respective communications channel having a respective error correction coding redundancy level;

communicating a message according to the identified service; and

assigning a charge for communication of the message according to the identified service commensurate with the error correction coding redundancy level of the associated communications channel.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein said step of identifying comprises the step of identifying a predetermined service associated with an intended recipient of the message.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein said step of communicating comprises the step of communicating a message according to the identified service if use of the identified service is authorized.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of services comprises a first service having a first bandwidth demand associated therewith and a second service having a second bandwidth demand associated therewith, wherein the second bandwidth demand is greater than the first bandwidth demand.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of services comprises a first service having a first non-bandwidth demand associated therewith and a second service having a second non-bandwidth demand associated therewith, wherein the second non-bandwidth demand is greater than the first non-bandwidth demand.

6. A method according to claim 5, wherein the first service has first transmit power level associated therewith and wherein the second service has a second transmit power level associated therewith, the second transmit power level greater than the first transmit power level.

7. A method according to claim 1, wherein said step of assigning a charge comprises the step of assigning a charge to one of a source of the communicated message and a recipient of the communicated message.

8. A method according to claim 1, wherein said step of communicating is preceded by the step of determining if system resources sufficient to meet a system resource demand associated with the identified service are present, and wherein said step of communicating comprises the step of communicating a message according to the identified service if sufficient system resources are present.

9. A method according to claim 1, wherein said step of assigning a charge is preceded by the step of identifying a tariff associated with the identified service, and wherein said step of assigning a charge comprises the step of assigning a charge for communication of the message according to the identified tariff.

10. In a wireless communications system, an apparatus comprising:

means for identifying a service of the plurality of services offered by the wireless communications system, a respective one of the plurality of services employing a respective communications channel having a respective error correction coding redundancy level;

means, responsive to said means for identifying, for communicating a message according to the identified service; and

means, responsive to said means for communicating, for assigning a charge for communication of the message according to the identified service commensurate with the error correction coding redundancy level of the associated communications channel.

11. An apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said means for identifying comprises means for identifying a service in response to a user request to communicate a message.

12. An apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said means for identifying comprises means for identifying a predetermined service associated with an intended recipient of the message.

13. An apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said means for communicating comprises means for communicating a message according to the identified service if use of the identified service is authorized.

14. An apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the plurality of services comprises a first service having a first bandwidth demand associated therewith and a second service having a second bandwidth demand associated therewith, wherein the second bandwidth demand is greater than the first bandwidth demand.

15. An apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the plurality of services comprises a first service having a first non-bandwidth demand associated therewith and a second service having a second non-bandwidth demand associated therewith, wherein the second non-bandwidth demand is greater than the first non-bandwidth demand.

16. An apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the first service has first transmit power level associated therewith and wherein the second service has a second transmit power level associated therewith, the second transmit power level greater than the first transmit power level.

17. An apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said means for assigning a charge comprises means for assigning a charge to one of a source of the communicated message and a recipient of the communicated message.

18. An apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising means for determining if system resources sufficient to meet a system resource demand associated with the identified service are present, and wherein said means for communicating comprises means for communicating a message according to the identified service if sufficient system resources are present.

19. An apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising means for identifying a tariff associated with the identified service, and wherein said means for assigning a charge comprises means for assigning a charge for communication of the message according to the identified tariff.

20. A method of operating a wireless communications system, the method comprising:

assigning respective different charges for respective ones of a first service that provides a first error correction coding and a second service that provides a combination of the first error correction coding and a second error correction coding, wherein the respective different charges assigned to communication using the first and second charges are commensurate with the respective error correction codings provided by the respective services.

21. A method according to claim 20, further comprising:

determining if system resources sufficient to meet a system associated with one of the first and second services are present; and

communicating a message using the one of the first and second services if sufficient system resources are present.

22. A method according to claim 20, further comprising:

determining whether use of one of the first and second services is authorized; and

communicating a message according to the one of the first and second services if use of the one of the first and second services is authorized.